Staple forming machine



April 14., 1953 P. E. SEIBEL 2,

STAPLE FORMING MACHINE- Filed Jan. 7, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IHHHH INVENTOR.

April 14, 1953 P. E. SEIBEL STAPLE FORMING MACHINE Filed Jan. 7, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

r E m m T n April 14, 1953 P. E. SEIBEL 2,634,576

STAPLE FORMING MACHINE Filed Jan. 7, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IHHWHIHIW g mum!" mubmm IN V EN TOR.

JTTOIE'NEY Patented Apr. 14, 1953 STAPLE FORMING MACHINE Peter E. Seibel, West Hempstead, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Abraham Borut, New York, N. Y.

Application January 7, 1950, Serial No. 137,314

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for forming wire staples.

The invention is particularly useful in forming the small staples for the OfilCB desk type of stapling machine for holding papers together.

In the manufacture of such paper staples there is commonly used a punching die. My machine makes the use of such die unnecessary and forms the staple by rollers acting at certain points against spring pressed forming members.

The invention comprises the machine described herein.

The invention will be illustrated in connection with the attached drawings to which reference is made.

Fig. 1 shows a top view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine partly broken away for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on line 1-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a plunger element of the machine.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line Q- -S of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line Ill-40 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view onan enlarged scale of the wire feeding and cutting part of the machine. The view is exploded.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on line l2--l2 of Fig. 3. I

There are shown a machine with base I4, frame 16, and bracket l8. The power shaft is driven by conventional means not shown. This shaft operates gear wheels 22, and 26, shaft 28, the gear wheels 30, 32 and 34, and wire feed rollers 36 and 38.

The wire to be formed into staples is shown at All passing through a guide 42 provided with mouth 44 and passing also a second guide 46 to the stop 48.

At the position of the wire 40 shown bythe dotted line in Fig. 1, the wire passes over the rotating wheel 5i) provided in its peripheral portion with recesses 62 to receive a wire staple and carrying a plurality of plungers 52, actually 8 in the machine illustrated. The plungers are mounted radially within the wheel actuated by pressure springs 5d tending to force the plungers outwardly, i. e.. away from the center of the plunger wheel. The plunger wheel is mounted on power shaft 20 by conventional keys 56.

The knife or cutter 58 is mounted on the rim of wheel 50 at such a distance from the shaft 2!} that the cutter contacts and cuts the wire 40 at the position of contact between the wire and part 46 as shown in Fig. 4.

This rotating wheel 50 has a channel-shaped periphery. The side walls of the channel define between them an annular groove. These side walls are provided with the recesses 88 to receive the wire to be bent into staple form. There is a part as of full width provided with two re cesses 6'2 for receiving the wire staple after form- The plunger 52 carries the irregularity such as the shoulder 68 to move the cut on piece of wire forward as the wheel 50 and contained plunger 52 rotate.

The plungers are also provided with two shallow recesses 64 for receiving the two-pronged take-01f fork 66 as shown in Fig. 3.

Extending above the end of the plunger 52 as shown in Fig. 3 is the arm 10 secured to the bracket l8 by a cap screw 72. Attached to the arm H3 are two small leaf springs 14, which springs are held to arm by screw 16, slightly curved over the wire 48 on both sides of arm 16, with a downward pressure to hold wire 40 in front of shoulder 68 of the plunger 52 while wire 40 is being cut off by cutter 53.

Two forming plates 18 are secured by screws not shown to the arm 7!] on each side thereof. These forming plates at their lower end are generally V-shaped. The back part of the V that is to the right in Fig. 3 prevents the wire from being retarded after cutting. Each of the forming plates are disposed in the forward part beyond the position of cutting of the wire. In this forward part, the edges of the plates slope downwardly, in the direction of travel of the cut-off length of wire, gradually to increase the extent of the bend in the wire.

The forward or left part of the V at Fig. 3 gives to the cut off wire its first bending or forming. This is accomplished as shown in Fig. 5 by bending the ends of the cut oii wire between the edges of the wheel 50 and the outsides of the forming plates 18.

The wire thus bent partly to staple shape drops into the slot or recess 62 and is carried forward, that is, in direction to the left in Fig. 3.

The arm 10 has the curved shape shown and carries the curved tongue Bil disposed centrally with respect to the remainder of the arm and extending lengthwise with a point at the extreme left end of the arm in the view shown in Fig. 3.

the outer edge of the forming wheel.

This tongue 89 depresses plunger 52 as the plunger is moved to the left by rotation of the wheel 52?. The curvature of the tongue 89 causes the plunger 52 to be depressed to the full depth as shown by the plunger in line with the forming member or wheel 82 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 7. The tongue terminates at approximately the position at which the plunger enters under the forming wheel.

This forming wheel 82 has a recessed central portion 84. The rim of the forming wheel is in line with the plungers and just outside the end of the plunger when the plunger is fully depressed against the spring seat 5 3. As the plunger passes the sharp end point of the tongue 88 then the plunger exerts its full force against the partially formed staple 85 held at the other side against the forming wheel 32. The result is the correct and final staple as shown in Fig. '7, the bends of the staple-"being made practically true right angles as the wire of the staple is forced by the plunger 52 to occupy the space between the end of the plunger and the surfaces of the forming wheel 82. The recess 84 serves as a clearance, so that all of the pressure of the plunger against the wire is directed near The manner in which the tongue 89 depresses the plunger 52 at a position just before release of the plunger from the tongue is shown in Fig. 6. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show therefore diiierent stages in the shaping of the staple from the initially bent form 86 to the, intermediate shape 87 and the final shape of the staple 88.

The machine includes a back plate 93 terminating in the arc-shaped edge conforming in part to the periphery of the wheel 5G and forming a narrow arc-shaped space with the portion of the wheel beyond the position of final shaping of the staple. The location of this arc-shaped surface is such that the surface just contacts the shoulders 68 of the plungers 52 as they rotate to the left in the assembly shown in Fig. 3. This construction restricts the outward movement of the spring pressed plunger carrying the shaped staple. It causes the machine to carry the formed staples 88 resting in the recesses 62, with the plungers fully compressed against springs Kit, to the delivery position at .the bottom position of the wheel 5!] in Fig. 3.

The back plate 98 near the bottom of thewheel .56 recedes from the wheel as shown at Fig. and terminates at a position adjacent to the band conveyor. As a result the staple 88 drops downwardly under the force of the spring-pressed plunger 52 and comes to be below the stationary take-off forks 92 which enter through the two slots or notches 64 (Fig. 8) of the end of the plunger 52. The staple is now below the fork 92 and clears the outermost part of plunger 52 as, the plunger continues to rotate, as shown in Fig. 10. A pusher wheel 94 mounted on shaft 96,-driven by gear 98 through gear 22, has a toothed surface and the teeth push the staples 88 to the right in the view shown in Fig. 10. The staple is also carried to the right by means of the shoulder 68 on the plunger 52 until the plunger in rotating comes to clear the top or base of the staple. The forks enter the notches and force the staples from the plungers at a position just above the conveyor, so that the staples fall upon the conveyor.

. The staples delivered from the wheel and plunger as described rest upon conveyor [fill consisting of a resilient spring band supported by 4 arbor I02. This spring passes at the two ends over roller H14 at one end and at the other end over driven roller I06 not shown in detail.

Parts not illustrated in detail are conventional.

It will be noted that plate 99 at its curved edge extends within the recess in the periphery of wheel 59, and also that the width of the recess in the forming wheel or member 82 is equal to the length of the base of the staple produced.

The materials of construction are those that are usual for elements of the kind described. Thus the bearings may be bronze, the conveyor spring steel and the other parts hardened tool and machine steel. The fastening elements are of usual kind.

The operation of the machine has been given largely in the description of the elements of the machine. In general, wire is fed to a predetermined length above the top of the wheel 50 in Fig. 3 by means of the feeding rollers 36 and 38 provided with wire receiving groove I62. A cutter then cuts off the wire to the desired length for the finished staple, this being the length between the position of the cutter in Fig. 1 and the stop 48. The cut off wire, which is somewhat longer than the width of a plunger, is delivered by the means shown to a position in advance of the irregularity of surface of the plunger, so that the wire projects on each side of the plunger. The cut off wire is then given initial bends under the forming plates '53, some additional bending at the position of the section line 6-6 and then the final bend on the section line li, these being shown in Fig. 3. Then the staples are delivered to the lower part of the periphery of the rotating wheel 50 and there pushed off onto a receiver such as the conveyor illustrated in the drawings and described above.

My machine is free from vibration and rapidly reciprocating parts which characterize previous staple forming machines. It will produce staples at least 5 to 6 times faster than conventional machines.

It will be understood that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of illustration which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A staple forming machine comprising a rotating wheel, a peripheral portion thereof in the form of a channel, side walls of the channel defining therebetween a groove and being provided with recesses to receive the ends of a wire staple, a plunger mounted radially within the wheel. a spring seat for the plunger tending to force the plunger outwardly, an irregularity of surface on the outer end of the plunger in alignment with the rear edges of said recesses for engaging and carrying forward a length of wire to be formed into a staple and carrying forward the staple after its formation, means for delivering a wire somewhat longer than the width of the plunger across the face of the plunger and in advance of the said irregularity thereon, so that the wire projects on both sides of the plunger, a forming wheel, means mounting the forming wheel rotatably with its rim in line with and just outside the circumference of movement of the end of the said plunger when the plunger is depressed against the spring, and a member depressing the plunger at a position in advance of and terminating at the position of registra tion of the plunger with the forming wheel,

said plunger, said member, and said forming wheel each being of a width substantially corresponding to the width of said channel and the termination of the depressing member causing the plunger to move towards the peripheral portion of the forming wheel and to shape the wire extending across the face of the plunger to conform with the inside dimensions and angles of the said channel and said recesses.

2. A machine as described in claim 1, comprising a band conveyor, a plate, a curved surface thereof defining a narrow, arc-shaped space with the portion of the said wheel beyond the position of final shaping of the wire and restricting the outward movement of the spring-pressed plunger carrying the shaped staple, the said plate terminating adjacent to the band conveyor, notches disposed in the outer portions of the plunger and extending in the direction of rotation of the plunger, and stationary forked takeoff members registering with the notches at a position just above the conveyor and serving to force the staples away from the end of the plunger as the rotation of the plunger continues.

3. A machine as described in claim 2, the said plate in advance of the position of terminating receding gradually, so as to increase the width of the space between the edge of the plate and the wheel, and causing the plunger gradually to move outwardly and force the staple thereon outwardly.

4. A machine as described in claim 1, comprising a cutter mounted on the said rotating wheel for cutting off the said length of wire, forming plates disposed beyond the position of cutting and provided with edges sloping downwardly in the direction of travel of the cut-off length of wire, a portion of the end of the plunger provided with a depression of size to receive the forming plates with a wire on each outer side thereof and means mounting the forming plates at a level in the path of the upper face of the plunger as it rotates, so that the plunger carries the wire under the forming plates and the sloping edges thereof so that the wire is bent by the said edges.

5. A machine as described in claim 1, comprising a cutter mounted on the said rotating wheel for cutting off the said length of wire, a rim portion of this wheel provided with an annular recess, forming plates disposed beyond the position of cutting and provided with edges sloping downwardly in the direction of travel of the cutoff length of wire, a portion of the end of the plunger provided with a depression of size to receive the forming plates with a wire on each outer side thereof, means mounting the forming plates at a level in the path of the upper face of the plunger as it rotates, so that the plunger carries the wire under the forming plates and the sloping edges thereof so that the wire is bent by the said edges, a band conveyor, a plate, a curved surface thereof extending within the said annular recess and defining a narrow, arc-shaped space with the portion of the said wheel beyond the position of final shaping of the wire and restricting the outward movement of the springpressed plunger carrying the shaped staple, notches disposed in the outer portions of the plunger and extending in the direction of rotation of the plunger, and stationary forked takeoff members registering with the notches at a position just above the conveyor and serving to move the staples away from the end of the plunger as the rotation of the plunger continues, the said plate terminating adjacent to the band conveyor and, in advance of the position of terminating, receding gradually in direction away from the inside of the annular recess, so as to increase the width of the space between the edge of the plate and the inside of the recess and cause the plunger gradually to move outwardly and force the staple thereon outwardly.

6. A forming machine comprising a female roll having an annular groove and a plurality of uniformly' spaced slide-sockets opening at their upper ends onto the bottom of said groove and extending radially inwardly therefrom, radial slots formed in the side walls of said groove radially aligned with each slide-socket, an anvilblock slidably mounted in each socket, a male roll having an annular tongue adapted to intermesh within the groove, the peripheral face of said tongue being substantially tangent to the bottom wall of the groove, means for feeding wire stock across the space between the rolls rearwardly of the line along which said rolls intermesh, and into alignment with said slots, means for cutting off said stock at a predetermined length, means for rotating the rolls in opposite directions with respect to each other, and means on said female roll for carrying the cut-off section of stock between the intermeshing rolls whereby said out stock will be forced into said slots and against said anvil-block and means to operate said anvil-block to eject the formed stock.

PETER E. SEIBEL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

